Favorite Things Friday #33

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Whew! This has been a whirlwind of a week, but so much fun! I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July. It’s a HUGE day in our town and never ever disappoints! It was a million degrees, but we had an absolute blast. I tell you, it’s my second favorite day of the year next to Christmas:)

Which brings me to my first favorite thing!

1. The Fourth of July

Ever since I was a kid, this has been my second favorite holiday. Our town goes all in, with festivities in the morning for families, a huge parade in the afternoon, and an amazing fireworks display at night. Every house gets a flag in the weeks leading up, and you can just feel the community come alive. When I say it’s a whole THING, I mean, it’s a WHOLE. THING. Friends and family who’ve moved away always seem to return on this day, and it’s like one big reunion to celebrate our country. I love every single thing about it. It really gives me all the feels, as I end the day watching my kids faces light up as they watch the fireworks, year after year, and I’m always overwhelmed with gratitude for this place we call home.

We are already counting down the days until next year:)

2. Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Honeysuckle Collection

Oh man, I just LOVE this stuff. It started with dish soap…then moved onto the multi-surface everyday cleaner (that makes my countertops smell dreamy), then I snagged a little candle. Honeysuckle is one of my favorite smells on the planet – I almost cried when I was walking Charlie recently and the bush where I always – and I mean always – stop to smell the honeysuckle had all gone away. It’s just such a nostalgic scent for me and I feel like a kid in the backyard of my parent’s house in summertime as soon as I get a whiff. Now, of course this doesn’t smell quite like the real deal, but I’m a sucker for it anyway. I get mine at Target, and I’ll link it all up right here if you like to click and buy;)

(They have much more too -bar soap, lotion, hand soap…sooo many choices!)

3. Endless Budget Decorating Options!

If you’ve followed the blog lately, you know I’m in the midst of a budget kitchen makeover. And I just cannot get over the options out there for us to live beautifully on a budget, you guys. I mean, I PAINTED my ugly counters (so far so good – will post that one soon!), and used some awesome peel and stick tile on my floor to hide our gold vinyl floor!

This is NOT the peel and stick of yesterday, my friends. This stuff is LEGIT.

I’ve always been passionate about finding ways to decorate frugally – from chalk paint that makes it possible to breathe new life into a huge $10 yard sale dresser for a family room tv:

to beadboard wallpaper?! Um, yes please.

How about getting the shiplap look with a $12 piece of plywood? Yep.

Painting a 1965 pink tile floor? Been there, done that too.

Cheap backsplashes? They’re out there. I’m amazed how doable it is to have a home you love, without breaking the bank. It just gives me so much satisfaction to look around our home, knowing we stuck to a budget, and with just a little bit of creativity and hard work, made it just how we want it to be. If there’s something that you realllllly want to change but just think it’s too far out of reach right now, do a little research, think outside the box. You’d be amazed at what you can do with what you have!

On that note, I hope this inspires you to look into ways you can get creative and tackle something you thought was unreachable! You can do it! And please let me know how it all turns out:)

Have an awesome weekend, friends, and thanks for sharing your Friday with me!

Welcome

Hi there! I’m Liz, a former teacher-turned-stay-at-home mom to three kids, with a passion to create a warm and inviting home on a budget. This blog all started when I’d put the babies down for a nap, and squeeze in a project during those precious couple of hours! My hope is that you visit this page and feel inspired to do a little “naptime decorating” of your own. Thank you so much for stopping by!